The Browns look to clinch a playoff spot Thursday against the Jets

Photo via Yahoo Sports

The Browns improved their winning streak to three, with their most recent win coming last Sunday in dominating fashion against the Houston Texans with a final score of 36-22. The Browns were in the holiday spirit, as they looked calm, happy, and confident, for the entirety of the game. The Browns were in complete control for the entire sixty minutes. This game was also a milestone game for someone in particular, as Amari Cooper had a career day as well as a record-breaking day. On Sunday, Amari Cooper had 11 receptions for 265 yards and two touchdowns. This incredible stat line broke a decade-long record held by former Browns receiver Josh Gordon for most receiving yards in a game in Browns history, beating Gordons’ record by just 5 yards, solidifying Cooper as one of the Browns all-time greats last Sunday.

Cooper’s record-setting day didn’t stop there, as he set several other records including becoming the first receiver in Browns history to have consecutive one thousand-yards receiving seasons and also became just the fourth player all-time with 3 career games with at least 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns. His milestones did not stop there as he also became just the 2nd receiver all time to have over 175 yards receiving in a game for three different franchises (joining Terrell Owens), and became the 6th player in NFL history with four career games of at least 200 yards receiving. This day was a day to remember for Cooper and was a game to remember for the Browns, as they hit the double-digit win mark for just the third time since returning to the NFL in 1999, and are just one win away from clinching a playoff spot for the first time in three years.

There is a lot to be happy about in Cleveland, and so many bright spots on a team going into a season that was full of question marks, withstanding several critical injuries throughout the season, and for the first time in a very long time in Cleveland Browns history, fans and members of the franchise are eyeing a Super Bowl trophy, and for the first time in Super Bowl history, it seems realistic. So, while the author (and fans alike) are looking into playoff matchups that could be played two months from now, the Browns are still taking it one game at a time. This has been the mindset of the coach and the locker room for the entire season, as after every win, Stefanski tells his team “We are 1-0”. So the Browns will try to advance to “1-0” yet again and will come back home to play a primetime Thursday night game vs the New York Jets, an opponent that once again looks a lot different than the Browns had figured to play when they were looking at their schedule to start the season. So the Browns smell blood in the water and have their eyes on a playoff game, and with a win on Thursday night, will clinch a playoff bid, but just one team stands in the way.

 

The New York Jets season can be defined as heartbreaking and disappointing, as the Jets all summer were in pure bliss and nirvana, after they traded for former MVP and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers in late April, and spent all offseason dreaming of scenarios of  winning the AFC East, and making a deep playoff run. Though those dreams were crushed very quickly in the season, as Rodgers tore his achilles in his left leg on the very first drive of the Jets week one game in MetLife stadium, an injury that ruled him out for the season. Rodgers injury was nothing short of devastating, and even though throughout the season Rodgers left the door open on an end-of-the-year return, just a week ago he announced that there is no chance he will be able to play this year, and his 2023 NFL season will end on the sidelines. When Rodgers was carted off the field in week 1 and hobbled into the locker room, he took not only himself, but also the confidence and optimism Jets fans had about their team.

When Rodgers got hurt, the Jets were quickly forgotten as a contender, and were regarded as not even having a shot to make the playoffs. Well, this was accurate as the Jets have a 6-9 record going into the final two games of the season, and are eliminated from the playoffs. The team has nothing to play for this season, and the only hope is to rain on the Browns playoff berth parade, and hope to spoil a night that was meant to be a celebration. The Jets fandom all last season, and into this offseason, stressed that they were just a QB away from being relevant, and they finally had a chance to be with Rodgers. Jets fandom said their defense is one of the best in the league, and just needed a functional offense to help them out.

Well, it showed as both last year and this year the Jets have had one of the best defenses in football. The Jets allow the third-fewest yards per game (294.8), the second-fewest passing yards per game (168.6), and have the 6th best red zone defense in all of football (48.8%). The Jets defense is still very much elite and is not the issue for their mediocre record. They are pretty much excellent on the defensive side of the ball, with the only facet of their game lacking is rushing defense, as they allow the 8th most yards allowed per game on the ground (126.2). So the Jets defense has been great, and the franchise has shown once again that they are an elite offensive unit away from being a real threat in the AFC. Well, their elite offensive unit will have to wait another year, as the offense yet again did not show up. The Jets offense this year has been nothing short of awful, a problem that has plagued this team with poor production for the past decade. The Jets offense this year ranks dead last in total yards per game (263.5), second to last in total passing yards per game (173.1), 5th worst in rushing yards per game (90.3), and third worst in total points per game (15.4).

The unit has been awful, and you have to point fingers at the QB room that has given them little to no results all year. A room that includes Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Sieman, have combined to have just a 62.4 QB rating, which would put them at 5th worst in all of football, and the crew has combined to have a 17.5 QBR, which puts them as the worst QBR in the league, tied with quarterback Bret Rypien for that dishonor. The unit has combined through 15 games to throw just 10 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and just 3 times this year the unit scored more than 25 points in a game. QB Trevor Siemian will hope to improve on these horrible stats from himself and company and will be starting for QB Zach Wilson, who is still in concussion protocol.  So that is the story of the Jets, a team with a stellar defense that will once again be watching the playoffs at home because of the lack of offensive production, in an offensive league. So the only thing left to play for is their pride, and try to spoil the Browns night that was meant to be a celebration in the event of a win. 

So the Browns should be able to handle business on Thursday night, and the only unit they will really have to worry about is the Jets defense, as they will have their hands full.  The Jets defense includes some of the league’s best defensive players, led by the likes of former Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Garner, who this season is allowing just a 70 passer rating when being targeted, and is one of the main reasons his defense ranks as the best defense in coverage this season by PFF (1st with 93.4 grade). Garner is one of the league’s best, and will be a great head-to-head matchup when he lines up against Amari Cooper for the majority of the game on Thursday Night. Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams will be helping him on the defensive side of the ball, and is one of the best defensive tackles in football. After an up-and-down rookie season, the 2019 first-round selection has emerged as one of the best players in his position, just like his teammate Sauce Gardner. Quinnen Williams is first in total defense grade by PFF (90.5), 2nd in tackling grade (73.4), and is third in the league in pass-rush grade (78.9). He has the third most tackles out of any defensive lineman in football with 37, and will be a name to keep an eye on for years to come.

Though these two guys will a handful, this Browns offense is not just playing well, but might be playing the best that the franchise and the City of Cleveland have seen since they returned to Cleveland over 20 years ago. You can not talk about this incredible offensive production without bringing up arguably the best story in football, the return and the excellence of 38-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco has been the starter for the Browns for 4 games this year and finds himself not only at the top of the leaderboards in passing categories for this season, but is putting himself in the history books because of this incredible run. Through his 4 games, Flacco is throwing for an average of 326.8 yards per game, which is the highest average of any QB in the NFL this year. Since week 13, no QB has thrown for more yards (1,321) and more touchdowns (10) than Joe Flacco.

Flacco in his first 3 games with the team threw for over 300 yards, this was the first time in his career that he had ever thrown for 300 yards in 3 straight games, and during this 3 game stretch, became the third oldest player in NFL history to have 3 straight games with 300 yards passing, joining Tom Brady and Warren Moon, and had the 5th highest yards in NFL history (939) for quarterbacks in their first 3 games with a new team. So Flacco has been incredible, and this story has not only been one of the best stories of the year, but one of the best stories NFL fans have seen in history. A 38-year-old quarterback, who was unemployed sitting at home watching movies with his family, just a month later not only being a great quarterback for the Browns but playing at a top 10 quarterback level in the league.

Flacco has elevated this team, as the offense with him is averaging 26.5 ppg, which is the 7th highest in football, and is averaging the most passing yards per game in the NFL (326.8),  resulting in a 3-1 record with him starting. There is something exciting about this team that fans and people watching can feel. There is confidence, there is optimism, there is hope from the quarterback position. The iconic voice of the Browns Jim Donovan while discussing the game vs the Bears, said that Flacco brings a certain “calmness” to the position that fans have not had in 20 years, and it has shown on the field.

Flacco has moved this offense up to another level, and this version of offensive success fans did not even see from their starter Deshaun Watson, as the Browns offense has turned to an air raid, as Flacco averages first in average completed air yards (7.8), 2nd in percentage of aggressive throws (19.4%), and fans have seen more successful deep bombs in Flacco’s last 4 games than they ever remember seeing in Watson’s entire time as a starter. It appears as well that not only is the Browns offense getting better with Flacco, but the defense has regained its swagger that was missing during the trip out west where the Browns lost to the Broncos and the Rams.

The defense has returned to once again playing at an extremely high level, as they forced 4 turnovers out of Jacksonville in a week 14 win, allowed just 17 points to the Bears limiting Fields to throw for just 166 yards during this game, and forced Houston to bench starter Case Keenum last Sunday after he threw for just 62 yards and two interceptions through 17 throws, and through 3 quarters had scored just 7 points. So this Browns defense has stayed the same, atop of the leader boards and still regarded as a juggernaut defensively, as they rank at the top in the majority of defensive categories, still allowing the fewest total yards per game (260.3), the fewest passing yards per game (160.1), and the 10th fewest rushing yards per game (100.2), and have the best third-down defense in football (allow 28.7% success rate). The Browns defense has remained great and is finally getting the production on the offensive side of the ball they were looking for, and the Browns right now at both sides of the ball can argue they are playing their best football yet.

So the Browns on Thursday night will hope to clinch a playoff spot in the event of a win and hope to be making just their third playoff appearance in 21 years. The Jets will look to spoil the fun, improve to 7-9 in the event of a win, and have Cleveland’s playoff chances stalled for another week. The game will be primetime on Thursday at 8:15 p.m., and by 11 p.m., Browns fans hope the discussion will turn to their first-round playoff opponent.